Loveless Ash Vac – Reasons To Love It Even More!

Rating: 4.7 Review by Tom Bator

Love-Less Ash Company was established in 1988 in Price, Utah and has developed a reputation that people have come to trust. The company's American-made ash vacuums have been known for the highest standard quality and reliability for over twenty years.

The Cougar and Cheetah II Ash Vac are practically similar in features, with noise level not included. The two vacuums both come with the similar motor although Cougar Ash Vacuum comes with a better motor housing which explains its 79dB noise level.

Both models feature a design that reflects safety, convenience and thoroughness. It is quite user-friendly. These characteristics are important to every person with a concern for removing dangerous particles associated with fires. Sparks occur, accidents happen and foul smells linger. Most of all, people can and do get hurt. The construction and operation of these appliances ensure that these and other dangers are minimized or eliminated altogether.

This product should be advertised for use with pellet stoves exclusively. It is ill suited for use with inserts, fireplaces, or other wood stoves where incomplete burning occurs. That’s because when a pellet stove burns its fuel, you get nothing but light ash, whereas in a fireplace, you are left with chunks of the fuel and unburnt coals that can clog up the nozzle, the hose, and the connection to the can. It is well constructed and solidly built.

The design of these ash vacuums facilitate the safe and easy removal of both warm and cold ash. These ash vacuums bear a heat tolerance for temperatures over 1,000˚ F, so it is capable of inhaling hot sparks and embers that continue to burn at the time of cleaning. A five-foot fire-resistant hose with a steel nozzle quickly and safely retrieves these ash particles and deposits them into a well-constructed steel canister until they are permanently discarded.

Loveless Ash VacFilters

The patented filtration system is comprised of two filters that work together to ensure a safe and thorough cleaning. Both filters are treated with a protective coating to shield them from any stray hot sparks and/or the pressure of extreme heat. These two filters ensure that dust and odors are drawn inward so breathable air remains clean and fresh.

The primary filter – this filter fits around the unit’s motor and is made of a fire-retardant fiberglass material to protect both filter and motor from burning embers or hot sparks. This filter, by design, withstands temperatures in excess of 1000˚ F, so it’s tough.

Secondary filter – this high-density filter is smaller in size and rests beneath the primary filter to catch missed debris. A spring-mounted cage situated underneath the secondary filter makes for easy cleaning without lid-removal. Users just jiggle the agitator rod on the lid to dislodge the dust and ash particles from the filters.

The filter is fine enough that it can be brushed out, rinsed, and reused. The price of a new filter package is approximately $30.

Ash vacuum reviews serve a benefit to you. Please do not underestimate their value or disregard them for any reason. Reading them carefully may save your life and property as well as provide you excellent ongoing performance.

Motor

The two ash vacuums have a powerful 800 watt-6 amp motor. That’s a long life. The noise level respectively 90dB and 79dB.

Canister

The fireproof canister is a 6-gallon receptacle with 3-gallon capacity. It is constructed of rolled steel to ensure that hot sparks or burning embers are contained without damaging the canister or allowing the leakage of fumes or odors.
There’s one rather brilliant innovation – there’s a “jiggler-rod” that’s used to knock off ash on the pre-filter. It brings back a significant amount of suction when it is used.

Dimensions

The Loveless Ash Vac measures 10” x 12" in diameter, so its interior space accommodates good-sized filters and a considerable amount of debris without any problems whatsoever. The unit’s weight is 13 lbs, 6 ozs and accommodates easy transportation.

Loveless Ash Vac Accessories

In the box you will find:

Canister

5’ metal hose

Steel nozzle

Inner Filter

Outer Filter

Operator's Manual

You’ll need to purchase the accessory kit separately – they come in handy for getting into tight spots and otherwise impossible-to-reach crevasses. The kit includes a crevice tool, horse hair suction brush and a clear plastic hose with a rubber fitting on one end. It's an absolutely indispensable aid.

Pros

Easy and quick assembly

Great choice of colors: black, green, red and winter scenery

Among the other fireplace cleaners the Cheetah II and Cougar Vacuums are the best and top sellers in the market today. This is because they are made with the finest materials that are guaranteed durable and have a great quality. There’s simply no better vacuum on the market in terms of ridding your pellet stove of all the fine ash. Better in the ash bucket and not in your home!

Cons

A primary downside that is usually associated with both ash vacs is its noise level. At 90dB, you will think that a large diesel truck has just passed by your house at a speed of 40mph or your neighbor is using a power lawn mower in his garden. The good news is that you do not necessarily need to use it for more than several minutes each time. In the event that you simply cannot take its noise level, you might as well opt for the MU405 Cougar ash vacuum that has been specifically designed for motor housing, operating at less than 80dB.

Another flaw of this vacuum is that it is primarily designed for use with Pellet Stoves. The company says you can use it with fireplaces and wood burning or coal stoves, but the truth is that it’s just not a practical solution for those devices.

The other big flaw is that this vacuum doesn’t have any kind of built on storage for its various accessories. This leaves you with the option of just leaving them in a heap on the floor wherever you store the vacuum when not in use, or removing the hose from the vacuum every time you’re done using it, then store it along with the accessories in a bag, leaving the cord coiled around it.

Consumer Ratings

Cougar

"We purchased an ash vacuum cleaner for our pellet stove on the advice of a friend. He mentioned that he used a Loveless Ash vacuum and was well pleased. So we decided to shop online and found a good deal on one…

Nearly 200 customers reviewed Loveless ash vacuums on Amazon to date. Around 85% of them were delighted with the purchase. A few were complaining about the noise (Cheetah Ash Vac), poor suction, clogging hose and nozzle.

Price

These aren't cheap vacuums, by any means. As an American product, Loveless Ash Vac can’t compete with their Chinese counterparts in terms of price. Take a look at the price of another American ash vacuum – the Cricket. It costs well over $200. That’s the price you have to pay for the sturdiness and reliability. Amazon usually has the best deal: MU405 Cougar Ash Vacuum, MU305 Cheetah II Ash Vacuum.